![18 September 2016: Cleveland Browns Cornerback Joe Haden (23) [4875] during the third quarter of the National Football League game between the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, OH. Baltimore defeated Cleveland 25-20. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)](../../../wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2016/09/23091424/DCT160918157_Baltimore_at_Cleveland.jpg)
The Cleveland Browns simply can’t catch a break. The brutal storm that’s been the start of their 2016 season just keeps on picking up steam, and this has turned into the definition of “kicking someone while they’re down.” After starting quarterback Robert Griffin III went down with a shoulder injury, backup QB and veteran Josh McCown stepped in and looked like he was ready to lead this team. He wasn’t perfect, but he wasn’t awful either, throwing two touchdowns during his first start. Then, it was revealed that he had suffered a shoulder injury as well and would miss multiple games.
Could it get any worse for the Browns? You bet it could.
Rookie wide receiver Corey Coleman, who hit the ground running to start his NFL career, suffered a fractured right hand. As ESPN reported, he’s expected to miss 4-6 weeks, and head coach Hue Jackson may have summed up the feel surrounding this injury best.
“I probably was the most surprised when our medical staff came up to tell me,” Jackson said. “I almost fell out of my chair. I told him, ‘You have to be kidding me’ because the guy practiced the whole practice.”
It doesn’t get much more brutal than that, as Coleman was one of the key weapons who rookie quarterback Cody Kessler was going to have in his first NFL start this Sunday. Unfortunately, that’s now all irrelevant, as Kessler will have to work with what he has left. The good news is, at least the Browns still have a somewhat solid defense, right? Well, that’s falling apart as well.
Via ESPN’s Pat McManamon:
As if things couldn’t get any worse for the Browns, probably their best defensive player in cornerback Joe Haden now may wind up missing Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins. Haden was off to a strong start to 2016, totaling seven tackles, five passes defended and two interceptions through the first two games. If there was ever a time that the Browns needed their stellar cornerback, then it was this stretch of games coming ahead.
For the Browns, it’s literally been the perfect storm over the first two weeks of the NFL season. There has to be a curse, jinx or something of that form surrounding this team because the blows keep on coming. The unfortunate truth is that barring some incredible turnaround, or someone (hey there, Josh Gordon) stepping in and saving the day, Cleveland will once again be looking at a top-five pick in the 2017 NFL draft.
This time, Browns fans have a right to be angry, frustrated and to wonder if things are ever going to turn around. No, they weren’t going to be a playoff team in 2016 probably regardless of what happened, but at the very least, there was some level of excitement and buzz surrounding this team before the year. Now, it’s about waiting for next season and just hoping that the stars can perfectly align for the team who just never seems able to catch a break.
